Tales of the Yellow Forest
by PseudoEpic
Summary: The introduction of the famous Pikachu. I am adding more onto the Prologue so far.
1. Prologue, Part 1

A Pikachu named Thanatos was trapped in a small, purple sphere.

For several years, Thanatos was forced to live in the endless space the sphere provided, eating the food that occasionally materialized in front of him. But no one was here to share the artificial life the sphere had.

One day, Thanatos felt a powerful force tugging him, eventually sucking him up into the sky.

* * *

A brown-haired man in an orange tuxedo-like outfit was standing outside of a cave. He was known as Giovanni, the leader of the organization Team Rocket. Having heard a rumor about a hidden "treasure" inside the Tohjo Falls, he sent several of his henchmen to investigate.

"Boss! I think we found something!"

The man in the orange outfit slowly turned his head and saw two men emerging from the cave and heading toward him. Those the two men wore the same black suits with red-orange R's on them, they had oddly colored hair. One man's hair was green while the other man's hair was purple.

"Ahh, yes. Proton and Petrel. What is it?" Giovanni said.

"We thought we've gone mad when we heard it. There were noises coming from the very back wall of the cave." the green-haired man Proton explained.

"We assume that it is a waterfall beyond the cave walls." the purple-haired man Petrel said.

"Oh, yes. The waterfall. Forgot to tell you about it." Giovanni smirked.

"But the noise was extremely faint! Proton here had to put his ear against the wall." Petrel interjected. "It could be anything. Permission to dig the cave walls, Giovanni?"

"You guys don't have any Digging Pokemon, but that's alright." Giovanni mused. "Good work, you two. You are now Rocket Executives."

So Giovanni left to get pickaxes and whatnot, leaving the two henchmen behind.

Proton turned toward Petrel and smirked.

"And this is why I told you to tag along. Consider yourself lucky."

"Shut your face. I'm trying to savor this moment."

* * *

Though the tools Giovanni provided were in good quality, they were soon broken by the absurd strength of the cave wall. Frustrated, Petrel swore loudly and suggested detonations. Giovanni approved.

Several minutes later the cave wall exploded. Instantly, the noise Proton and Petrel heard grew louder.

The now visible area was a lake surrounded by the rocky ground. The wall that the lake was against had a waterfall pouring endlessly from the cliff. For an area that has been hidden for what seemed like decades, the walls were impressively carved.

"So this is the Tohjo Falls..." Giovanni exclaimed. "Perhaps the treasure is inside the cave walls. Maybe it's behind the waterfall, just like in Mystery Dungeon 2."

_Your ears may be impressively sharp, but at this point this job will go to a certain Pokemon of mine._

"Leave this cave and wait for me." He ordered.

After his henchmen left, Giovanni started searching the walls and eventually found a small crack.

_Someone must have hid the treasure in there years ago. Then erosion must have kicked in._ Giovanni put his hand in his pocket and pulled out a ball the size of a ping-pong ball.

He examined the Pokeball. The top half was red whereas the bottom half was white. A button was in the intersection of the two colors. Giovanni pressed the button and the Pokeball grew into the size of a baseball.

Seconds later, Giovanni threw the ball.

Almost immediately, the Pokeball split open and light flashed out of it. The light flew from the open sphere and splashed onto the ground, where it soaked through the terrain like water soaking through soil. Seconds after the light disappeared, three heads burst out of the ground. The heads were huddled together, and they even looked exactly the same, having brown skin, no hair, and a large oval-shaped nose under it's small eyes.

"Dugtrio." the three headed Pokemon spoke simultaneously.

"Alright, Dugtrio," Giovanni said, "I believe there is some sort of... treasure hidden in this area."

The Dugtrio nodded its heads together and dove under the surface. Faint sounds of digging were heard.

Minutes later, the Dugtrio popped out of one of the cave walls holding a purple sphere on its heads.

"Excellent." Giovanni held up Dugtrio's Pokeball. "Return."

This time, the Pokeball emitted a red light that surrounded the Dugtrio, and sucked it into the Pokeball.

After pocketing the Pokeball, Giovanni picked up and examined the purple sphere.

_What? Tohjo Falls was hiding a MASTER BALL?_

The Master Ball was a Pokeball with its top half purple rather than red. The purple half had two pink circles on the sides, and a letter M was engraved in the middle. Giovanni felt that the Master Ball was a bit heavier than a regular Pokeball.

_It already captured a Pokemon. I can't even use it! Oh well, let's see what Pokemon it is._

Giovanni tossed the Master Ball. The light that came out of it landed on the ground, where it started to shape-shift into another Pokemon.

Seeing how a Master Ball could catch a Pokemon without fail, Giovanni expected an extremely powerful Pokemon, known as a Legendary.

However, an orange-colored electric mouse was not what he asked for.

* * *

As Thanatos's eyes slowly unblurred, he saw a man looking down on him.

"A Pikachu? I went all the way here to find a Pikachu?" The man exclaimed in disbelief.

_Great. The first thing I hear after several years in this stupid..._ Thanatos rubbed his eyes and the man gradually came into focus - he was a brown haired man wearing an orange suit.

The Pikachu examined his surroundings. He was in a cavelike area complete with a lake and a waterfall.

"Some idiot must have wasted this Pokeball and hid it here because he was so ashamed." The man hypothesized.

"How did you know he was an idiot?" Thanatos remembered the fool who captured him with the purple sphere the man was holding now.

The man's eyes nearly popped out of his head. Even Thanatos was surprised.

"Wait a second, you can't talk! What the hell? You're a POKEMON!"

This was true. Instead of the high-pitched, cute voice that normal Pikachu had, Thanatos spoke in a low-pitched voice that mirrored a human adult.

"Human? I didn't know I could talk human," Thanatos snarled, "owing to the fact that I've never been in the presence of one."

The man examined Thanatos. "Hmmm. You have the same features of a Pikachu. Long ears with black tips, red cheeks, lightning-shaped tail... all except of the yellow fur."

Now that the man mentioned it, Thanatos was confused on why he was even orange in the first place. He tried to retrieve his memories. Something about a radioactive meteorite...

"Now, what is your name?" the man asked.

"...Thanatos."

"I am Giovanni, the leader of the Team Rocket organization. And you look like a valuable Pokemon."

"Thank you." Thanatos smirked.

"I don't think you know what the Team Rocket does." Giovanni said. "We use rare Pokemon like you for world domination and money. '_Steal Pokémon for profit. Exploit Pokémon for profit. All Pokémon exist for the glory of Team Rocket._' That includes you." Giovanni smiled.

_What? Alright, fine. I'll come quietly. As long as you don't put me ba- _Thanatos never even had the time to scream as Giovanni pressed a button on the sphere, immediately engulfing him with red light.

* * *

Many hours later, Giovanni arrived at the Team Rocket headquarters. In the safety of the Team Rocket Boss's room, Giovanni opened the Master Ball and soon, an extremely angry Thanatos was on the table.

"I didn't have time to tell you this," Thanatos snarled, "but we Pokemon do NOT enjoy being held captive in these... these-"

"Pokeballs?"

"Oooh, Pokeballs~..." Thanatos said in a mock-dreamy voice. "For fifteen years I was kept in this Poookeball~ right here!" Thanatos smacked the Master Ball out of Giovanni's hand. "What's so special about them anyways?"

"If I didn't keep you in this Master Ball, you would escape." Giovanni grumbled, picking up the Master Ball.

"Well, thanks for the advice!" In an instant, Thanatos was running toward the exit. Laughing maniacally, he went outside and slammed the door.

Minutes later, the door slowly opened and a confused Thanatos walked in.

"I couldn't find a map to get out of this place."

Now it was Giovanni's turn to laugh.

"This..." The Team Rocket Boss said dramatically, "is my HIDEOUT... four floors underneath the Game Corner of Celadon City."

"Where the hell is Celadon City?"

"About a hundred miles from where I found you."

"And where did you find me?"

"Tohjo Falls. Rather than the floor, you were hidden deep inside a cave wall."

For a moment, Thanatos became silent. "A _wall_? Why was I hidden inside a wall? ...Wait, I think I remember something... I used to be powerful - I think this was why I was locked away in this Tohjo Falls. But not anymore..."

"Just how powerful were you?"

"..."

* * *

Giovanni typed an analysis of Thanatos's power on his computer.

Thanatos proved to be faster and stronger than any other Pikachu. A normal Pikachu could generate electricity from his cheeks - Thanatos could generate electricity from his hands.

A fool would say that the examination took place in Giovanni's room. Actually, Giovanni took Thanatos to a large white room one floor above. And on their way, Thanatos laid eyes on several portraits of Pokemon.

One picture in particular had him thinking throughout the entire examination.

"And previously, you were pretending that you were weak." Giovanni interrupted Thanatos attempt to retrieve his memory for the third time.

Despite the rude awakening, Thanatos smirked. "Trust me, this feeble display of power was _nothing_ compared to the power I had..."

For the next few minutes, Thanatos silently walked around the room. All that was heard was the typing on Giovanni's computer.

Eventually Thanatos's frown slowly extending to a grin.

"Hey, do you mind if I.. umm... go look around at Floor 3?" Thanatos jumped off the table and headed toward the door.

"Floor 3? Why? Did you forget something?"

"No..."

"Are you hiding something? Or are you trying to leave?"

"...I am not intending to leave this place." Thanatos snarled. "You have several paintings of Pokemon, and I didn't have the time to look at them because you wanted to find out my power and use me for your stupid 'world domination' tomfoolery that I don't care about!"

"Alright, alright! Fine. You have my permission. But keep this in mind," Giovanni warned, "if you leave, you will have no place to go."

"I am aware of that."

Minutes later, Thanatos returned holding a portrait. The portrait featured a pink cat with a long tail flying in the night sky.

"Hey, do you know who this is?" He asked.

Giovanni turned from his computer and looked at the painting. "Oh, that's Mew, one of the most powerful Pokemon in the world."

"How powerful?" Thanatos inquired, literally shoving the painting into Giovanni's face.

"You're going to break the painting if you do that! You want to know so bad? Here: something huge took place somewhere in 1978. It was a storm unlike any other, and when it finally stopped, this Pokemon guy right here-" Giovanni pointed at the picture "-was seen flying into the sky." Giovanni turned the painting around and smashed Thanatos's head with the frame.

"1978? What year is it now?" Thanatos was still laying on the floor.

"1993."

_"1993? 1978? Isn't that 15 years apart?"_

_Wait, 15 years sounds familiar... maelstrom No, it couldn't be. maelstrom I must have been imprisoned in 1978 maelstrom and it sounds like this maelstrom Mew had something to maelstrom do with it maelstrom! But MAELSTROMwhat doeMAELSTROMis MAELSTROM what's MAELSTROMgoing onMAELSTROM whaMAELSTROMppeningtome? MAELSTRMOERMLAEAOLSRAFFFMFALFFFFMASLEFFFMLSEFFFFGETOUTOFMYHEAD_

The orange Pikachu soon had a brief seizure before getting up.

_What the bloody hell is a maelstrom? Wait isn't that a whirlpool? Pikachu can't control the sea, you moron! Wait, what was I thinking about earlier? Ah, yes..._

"I think I was imprisoned in 1978 because of this 'Mew'."

"Really? Then do you remember anything related to the crisis?"

Images of several orange Pikachu flashed through Thanatos's head.

"There were others like me, I think. If you are correct... if there was really a storm, then those Pikachu were in a war."

_And I must have been part of it. But does that mean Mew has imprisoned all of us? Are we hidden in parts of the Tohjo Falls?_

"And knowing how there could be many of you, are there still other Pikachu like you? You know, Pikachu that are... shiny?" Giovanni asked.

"Yes, with the incredibly short time period known as 15 years and with the fact that Mew could have imprisoned every of these 'shiny' Pokemon, there's bound to be more of us around!" Thanatos replied, waving his arms around in a exaggerated manner.

The Team Rocket boss, failing to see Thanatos' sarcasm, quickly turned to his labtop and began furiously typing.

"You've given me a great idea. One which should be executed immediately, starting with this intercom." Giovanni cleared his throat. "ATTENTION. THERE ARE A FEW MIS-COLORED POKEMON WHO ARE HIDING IN KANTO. FIND THEM. START WITH ALL THE DAYCARES, GYMS, AND POKELABS IN THE REGION."

Several minutes later, a man with green hair and in a white suit came bursting in. Thanatos immediately hid under Giovanni's desk.

"You, Proton! Report!" Giovanni barked.

"We have discovered one mis-colored Pokemon in the Day Care Center between Cerulean and Saffron City. The reported Pokemon has two eggs."

Beneath Giovanni's desk, Thanatos narrowed his eyes and smiled.


	2. Prologue, Part 2

A ten-year old kid known as a Pokemon Trainer was walking from Route 5 to Saffron City.

She had a Pikachu who followed her all the time, and proved to be faithful to its master.

That Pikachu's name was Helen.

One day, the Trainer encountered another Pokemon - an orange Pikachu who was able to talk.

His name was Keith, and he wished to return to his home.

Keith followed the Trainer, hoping that he would find directions.

That was when Helen's sudden condition forced the Trainer to stop at a Day Care.

Two eggs were made.

The Trainer would always remember seeing Keith kissing Helen on the cheek, with Helen trying not to shock Keith with happiness.

The Day Care owner offered to look after the eggs, and the Pikachu couple insisted they stay with the eggs. And so, the Trainer visited the Day Care every day.

A particular visit had one of the eggs hatching, and a male Pichu was born. The Day Care owner suggested that the Trainer waits until the other Pichu was born.

Then Keith mysteriously disappeared, leaving Helen to nurse the egg and her newborn son. But the visits continued.

Every night, the Trainer would leave the Day Care to go to a nearby hotel in Saffron City.

Two weeks after the Pokemon eggs were made, the Trainer found herself replaying the past events in her mind.

Sighing, the Trainer looked back toward the building that was the Day Care. Its cyan-colored roof switched a dark shade of navy blue as the lights shining through the window went out.

The Day Care was closing for the night.

* * *

In the safety of the Day Care room, Helen decided to name her son Samuel. The two Pokemon enjoyed their artificial habitat - the room was an atrium consisting of a few trees, shrubs and bushes, with the floor covered with grass.

The only 'human' thing about the room were the walls that surrounded the area, and a door that lead to the Day Care lobby.

Helen enjoyed looking through the ceiling window, which currently illuminated the room with moonlight.

Sometimes, she imagined what it would like to be truly free, free from the hands of a human, no matter how kind or how cruel. She imagined what it would be like to have a home, like Keith had. There was so little, Helen thought with sorrow, Keith knew about his home.

"They call it the Yellow Forest." He had said. "All I know is that it is west of us, and I don't know how far."

Helen sighed.

She turned toward her son, who was looking at a large egg covered with green triangles.

Being a Pichu, Samuel was a smaller version of a Pikachu, possessing a smaller, blacker tail and smaller hands and feet.

Ever since Samuel was born, he had been constantly staring at the egg which laid stationary on a raised area of grass.

"Mom, when will the egg hatch?" Samuel asked.

"Don't disturb him, Samuel." Helen replied softly.

"But he's been here forever!" Samuel whined, grabbing the egg and shaking it side to side.

"He needs to remain in the egg so when he hatches, he'll look about the same as you."

Samuel made a confused facial expression. "He?"

Helen reached out a hand and lightly felt the egg. "These eggs were created at the same time. You two are twins, and therefore you both are boys."

Samuel made a wide grin, but then he frowned. "Why is he taking so long, then?"

"I don't know. But I know that once your twin brother arrives, Avery will take us on an adventure of a lifetime."

"Avery? Adventure?"

"Avery is a human, and she is my master."

"Human..." Samuel said to himself. "Mom?"

"Yes?"

"What adventure are you talking about, anyways?"

"I believe that we travel across the land and battle other Pokemon such as myself."

Samuel's face instantly lit up. "Battle? As in fight?"

Helen, knowing the consequences of confirming Samuel's violent ideas, simply nodded.

"Really! That sounds fun!" Samuel giggled evilly, and immediately began to release a torrent of punches and kicks into the air.

"Mom, look at this! Check it out! Whoo!"

Suddenly, Samuel's cheeks exploded with electricity. Overwhelmed, he fell over.

"DID YOU SEE THAT?" Samuel shrieked with excitement.

"Don't get too caught up with it. Start small." Helen chuckled, and produced a series of small sparks.

Samuel was in awe. Seconds after Helen's display of electricity, he found his voice.

"Do it again! Pleeease Mom?"

"I think it's time for you to go to sleep, Samuel."

"Nooooiwanttoseeyoudothatcoolthingagainitlookssoaweso-"

Helen swiftly picked up Samuel and carried him to the patch of grass near the egg.

"Fine..." Samuel said grumpily as he slumped onto his bed, looking up at the stars.

"Good night, Samuel."

"Good night, Mom..." Samuel closed his eyes, but then he spoke again. "Mom, where's Dad?"

Helen's face immediately received a pained expression. For the third time in the Day Care, Helen tried not to break down in front of her son.

Regaining control, she replied, "I don't know. But wherever he is, I hope he has found his home."

"Home? Isn't this our home?"

"We don't have a home... This is just a place to stay until the other egg hatches."

"But Dad has a home! Why can't he just take us there?"

"....Because of Avery."

"Because of this human, we can't go with him?"

"...."

"Mom, please answer me!"

Helen sighed. She remembered her consideration to leave with Keith...

and break Avery's heart in the process.

"Yes. Because of her, we can't go."

"What? I can't believe it! Because of a human we can't go with Dad? Man, I wish she wasn't here!"

"Don't say that, Samuel!" Helen was taken aback. "Just... you go to sleep now, ok?"

"...Ok, Mom. Goodnight."

"..."

For several minutes, Helen mulled over Samuel's hateful words. Samuel was right - because of a human, Helen couldn't join Keith and take her children to his home. But Helen loved Avery - she was a caring person who knew Helen to begin with. If not for Avery, Helen would never have met Keith.

Helen tried to hold back several sobs as two weeks of emotional pain flooded from her eyes. Seconds, minutes, even an hour passed. The tears slowed down as Helen looked up at the stars.

Soon Helen heard a distant sound of a door opening and clo-

She expected the soft closing of a door signaling that the Day Care owner was going home for the night, but this night in particular was a bit different.

"Who goes there?" shouted the Day Care owner. Soon, the door slammed and sounds of angry footsteps was heard.

"Another Rocket bastard... You're not stealin' any of these Pokemon, y'hear? These are other Trainers' Pokemon I'm lookin' after!"

The foot steps died down as the Day Care owner finished searching for the intruder. The silent minutes that passed implied that he went on his way.

Helen saw the door that led to the artificial habitat opening. The intruder was not a silhouette of a human, but of a Pokemon.

A Pikachu, actually.

Helen's heart raced. "Keith?"

The Pikachu finished opening the door and spoke.

"Not Keith," the Pikachu spoke slowly in a deep voice, "but rather a, umm, a friend of mine."

"You know Keith?"

The Pikachu chuckled and stepped outside the shadow. The moonlight revealed the details of the Pikachu - he seemed older than Helen, and his fur was a light shade of orange.

_Just like him..._ Helen's eyes widened.

"I can feel my memories slowly returning, Helen. I remember how I got this fur color." the Pikachu said.

"Wha.. How... Who are you?" Helen asked.

The Pikachu thought for a moment. "Call me Thanatos."

"Thanatos, can you tell me what happened to Keith?" Helen remembered hearing the name somewhere, but from where...

"Well... Say, several days ago, I gave him directions to his home. In other words, I helped him."

"You know where it is? The Yellow Forest?" Helen asked in disbelief. "Why didn't you see us? Why couldn't you b-"

"The Yellow Forest, eh?" Thanatos appeared to be scrambling around for some more lost memories. "I have intended to escort you, Helen, but there is a tiny problem. No... one big problem." Thanatos chuckled.

"Avery..." Helen muttered.

"You should have broken free when you had the chance." Thanatos frowned.

"I... I don't want to abandon her... It's not right."

"Hmm?"

"In the beginning, I was alone inside a place like this." Helen looked at the trees and bushes. "But then Avery came along, and the next thing I knew I was being taken on a journey. An _adventure_." Helen smiled warmly.

"The last time I checked, an 'adventure' is not a tradition that involves one dragging her Pokemon around, and forcing the Pokemon to beat each other senseless."

"You don't understand!" Helen was visibly annoyed by Thanatos's ignorance. "Avery was a true Pokemon Trainer. She cared for me all the way through! Sure, she got me into a few Pokemon Battles! So? I need to be strong! Need to be prepared for the challenges that lie before me! For what would an adventure be without any obstacles?"

"... Leaving her to go to Keith's home would emotionally scar her for life?" Thanatos made an exaggerated thinking impression.

"Yes. I can't just abandon her like that."

"Ahh..." Thanatos looked past Helen and saw Samuel sleeping peacefully. "Let's say this little adventure continues. What will become of your son over here?" Thanatos walked toward Samuel.

"He will learn to love Avery and he will grow into one of the greatest Pokemon I've known." Helen replied firmly.

"You've got a real habit of looking forward, Helen. Such an optimist." Thanatos continued to examine the sleeping Pichu, and then noticed the egg lying beside him. "Oh.. and what do we have here?"

"Don't touch him!" Helen spoke sharply.

"Relax." Thanatos lightly touched the egg and smiled. "It's a boy, you say?"

"Yes..."

Thanatos ran his hand across the egg. "But this egg feels a bit different."

"What do you mean by that?"

"I can feel its immense power. That alone tells me that she'll be just like her father."

"You don't know what a boy is, don't you?"

"A girl, Helen. I can identify the gender of the egg because of this." Thanatos pointed at his fur.

_That makes sense..._

"And now, I will merely wait until it hatches." Thanatos explained. "Then I will escort you to Keith's home. And if I am correct, your daughter will receive some special treatment due to her significant status. And before that, I dispose of this Avery."

"Dispose? What do you mean by that?"

Thanatos smiled, as if he was expecting a particular reaction from his following words: "I will kill the human."

Helen's mouth fell open in shock, as Thanatos's words echoed in her head more violently than Samuel's words did. Not only would murdering Avery be senseless and cruel, it would bring shame to the Pikachu species and possibly all Pokemon as well.

"Well, nobody saw that coming." Thanatos continued to smile.

"D-don't you t-touch.." Helen stammered.

"Oh? But your son here says otherwise." Thanatos gestured toward Samuel. "'I wish she wasn't here.' Kinda explains alot, doesn't it?"

Helen staggered backwards and remembered her conversation with Samuel hours ago.

"He said it because Keith was a kind father to him, and now Samuel wants to join him." Thanatos said coldly.

Helen began to shake as she realized the truth of his words.

"Sometimes I imagine that humans are merely tools for our use." Thanatos snickered.

Helen found her voice. "They are not tools."

"Oh? But if not for her, you would never had met Keith, and Samuel would be some hilarious-looking ghost somewhere in the plane between life and death. You see? Humans are tools that are used to bring Pokemon together and torment them!" Thanatos raised his arm dramatically.

Helen, previously shaking with shock, was now shaking with anger. "You're wrong." Helen's voice rose. "I will not leave, and I know that Samuel _will_ enjoy his journey with Avery!"

"Aw, come on. Why can't I just kill her? Do you want to be with Keith again, or not?" Thanatos lowered his hand to eye level and produced a small sphere of electricity on his finger. "Besides, with my augmented power I obtained years ago, the process will be quick and painless."

Helen's rage exploded and she slapped Thanatos square across the face. Without even flinching, Thanatos made his fist glow with electricity and retaliated.

Helen was sent flying several yards across the room. Hitting the floor, Helen yelped as electricity shot through her body.

"Thunder Punch." Thanatos walked toward Helen's writhing body. "If your feminine attack hurt, I would have done alot worse."

_Bastard!_ Helen could only think as the electricity died down, her body still in pain.

"Your son is one hell of a heavy sleeper." Thanatos smirked at Samuel. "Very well. You have chosen to keep Avery alive, with her heart still pumping."

Helen nodded silently as she started to grow tired.

"Nevertheless, her heart will be broken either way. Your excellent choice will make her pine away. Farewell for now." Thanatos spoke, and headed toward the exit.

Helen tried to get up and pursue Thanatos, but she collapsed and lost consciousness.


End file.
